WWII GERMAN BADGE - NAVY DESTROYER The Destroyers War badge was authorized on June 4th 1940 by the Grand Admiral Erich Raeder. This award was first issued to participants of the battle of Narvik. The recipients of the badge were originally members of a destroyer crew. However, later on the same year the eligible recipients grew to include crews from Torpedo boats and E-boats.

Qualifications to receive the award included:
The recipient was wounded during action. Participation on 12 missions without enemy contact. Service on a ship sunk by the enemy. For heroic service during combat where no other award was given.

The construction of the badge consisted of two hooks and a pin. The top of the badge had a hook (left picture below) which enable the bearer to secure the award to a tunic. The second hook (right picture below) served to secure the pin. Special attention must be payed to the shape of the hooks and how they are attached to the body of the award. These are some of the key elements that will allow a collector to distinguish a real badge from a reproduction.

The following pictures provide two different views of the badge's pin;